Visiting Norfolk Island in the Pacific
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Article Intro
Wondering what life was about and how people lived one or two centuries ago? Come to visit Norfolk Island, a completely secluded island state in the Pacific. As part of the Commonwealth of Australia, it still enjoys a great deal of independence. Read about travel attractions of Norfolk Island below.
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Since the island is small and remote from major shipping lanes, it is little known to the masses of tourists. Lost in the ocean and having no reputation of the 'palm-beach-paradise', characteristic of other islands of Oceania, it would seem that the island cannot offer tourists anything supernatural. All the sights are connected with the beautiful nature, pastoral landscape, and good conditions for diving. They are in complete isolation from the rest of the world. The island seems to still live in the 18-19th centuries, acquiring, however, all the trappings of modern technological civilization in the form of modern communication. In Norfolk, there are no large towns or villages, and people live here in freedom, with small farms nestled around cozy villages. The only more or less large population inhabits the administrative center of the island Kingston and it business center Burnt Pine.
In Kingston, there are almost all the administrative offices of the island: the residence of the governor, the administration building of the island, the meeting hall of the Government, Courthouse, and others. All of them occupy the historic buildings of the city - the old soldiers' barracks and other monuments of British colonization. The building of the once famous Norfolk prison is now destroyed, leaving only the walls – a popular local landmark. The Museum of Norfolk Island is located in an old harbor warehouse. Here is one of the prettiest bays on the planet, Emily Bay.
At the base of the peninsula, there lie the fields of Norfolk Golf Club, one of the most scenic on the planet. This part of the island offers stunning panoramas, magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean, historic buildings and the mighty Kingston Norfolk pines that once attracted many visitors from all over the world. Nearby is another local landmark, House Number 10, built in Gregorian style. In the 1980-s, the house was renovated in the spirit of its first owner, Thomas Celler, and was turned into a museum of the first settlers’ habitat.
Burnt Pine is the business and geographical center of the island. This is a modern village with a few houses, companies and banks, data center, post office, police station and the airport. The island’s best shops, cafes and restaurants are located here. In addition to these places of interest, there is also one of the major museums on the island, Middlegate Museum Road, located in the south-eastern part of Burnt Pine. Having collected nearly all the materials about the history of the island since 1790, the museum has an extensive collection of artifacts of the first settlements in Norfolk, the old photos and genealogical materials, the exhibits of Norfolk life and an extensive collection of marine life. The church of the island is quite modest and unpretentious. However, this picturesque little church is considered one of the most beautiful in the Pacific region, and today the services of this church include christenings, weddings, and funerals for members of virtually all faiths. To have a comfortable excursion around Burn Pine, ask your Norfolk Island tour operator to prepare a good circuit.
The Norfolk Island Botanic Garden was established in 1986 jointly by the Government of the island and the governments of the British Commonwealth as a place where rare species are protected. This is the only unique part of Norfolk forest preserved intact. The flora of Norfolk deserves special attention: all the species are classified as rare or have a number of features that sharply distinguish them from their 'relatives' growing in other parts of the world. Norfolk Island is the birthplace of the majestic Norfolk pines, whose seeds are one of the most important export products of the island. Botanical Garden is filled with a variety of birds. For green parrots, there is even a special enclosure,
At the very north of the island, at the foot of Mount Bates, there stands a memorial in honor of Captain Cook, from which various hiking trails lead to the slopes of the local mountains.
Contact travel agents on Norfolk Island to ask questions about your future trip and prepare such travel activities as flights, hotels, transportation and itineraries.
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